Former HR executive in viral Coldplay clip speaks out about abuse, threats and job search

A former HR executive who was caught on the big screen at a Coldplay concert embracing her boss has spoken publicly about the harassment, threats and career fallout she says followed the viral moment.

Kristin Cabot, 53, the former chief people officer at US tech company Astronomer, appeared on stadium screens at a July show in Foxborough, Massachusetts, hugging then-CEO Andy Byron before the pair abruptly ducked out of view. As the crowd laughed, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin quipped: “Either they’re having an affair, or they’re just very shy.”

The clip spread rapidly online, turning the pair into memes and prompting intense scrutiny. Within days, Astronomer placed Mr Byron on leave and announced an investigation. He later resigned. Ms Cabot also stepped down.

Speaking to The Times and the New York Times, Ms Cabot said the online reaction has had lasting consequences. “I became a meme. I was the most maligned HR manager in HR history,” she told The Times, adding that she is now trying to find work but has been told she is “unemployable.”

Ms Cabot said she was separated from her husband at the time and denied being in a sexual relationship with Mr Byron. She acknowledged having had a “crush” on her boss and described the incident as a lapse in judgment. “I made a bad decision and had a couple of High Noons and danced and acted inappropriately with my boss,” she told the New York Times. “I took accountability and I gave up my career for that.”

She said the attention did not fade when the internet moved on. “It’s not over for me, and it’s not over for my kids. The harassment never ended,” she said. According to Ms Cabot, her two children became so embarrassed by the attention that they avoided being picked up from school or attending sports games with her.

Ms Cabot questioned whether Mr Byron faced the same level of abuse. “I think as a woman, as women always do, I took the bulk of the abuse,” she said, recounting accusations that she was a “gold-digger” or had “slept her way to the top.” She said her appearance, body and clothing were widely mocked, with celebrities also joining the pile-on. Gwyneth Paltrow later appeared in a tongue-in-cheek promotional video for Astronomer amid the controversy.

The former executive said the fallout escalated beyond online ridicule. She told the New York Times she received threatening messages, including one from someone who claimed to know where she shopped and wrote: “I’m coming for you.” Her private details were posted online, leading to weeks of harassment that included up to 600 calls a day and dozens of death threats. Paparazzi gathered outside her home, which she described as feeling like a “parade.”

Ms Cabot said women were often the harshest critics, accounting for most of the in-person bullying and many of the calls and messages. “My kids were afraid that I was going to die and they were going to die,” she said, adding that her family began to dread public places and social events.

She said things are slowly improving. Her children are now in therapy, and she has begun venturing out again, including to play tennis. She and Mr Byron briefly kept in touch to share “crisis management advice,” but later decided to stop communicating to allow everyone to move on.

Mr Byron has not spoken publicly about the incident. A fake statement attributed to him circulated online after the concert, prompting Astronomer to issue its own clarification. “Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding,” the company said at the time. “Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability.” The company later confirmed that Mr Byron had resigned.